How to Chit Runner Beans

Runner beans are known as half-hardy beans, which means that they should be planted outdoors after the risk of frost has gone, or you'll risk them rotting in the ground. One way to get a head start on the season is by chitting the beans or pre-sprouting them indoors before you place them in the garden. This can give you an extra week on the planting season or allow you to plant them in pots indoors to extend the season even more.

1

Line the bottom of a plastic food container with paper towels. Use the kind of container used for leftovers or sandwiches that has a tight-fitting lid. Place two or three layers of paper towels in the bottom of the container.

2

Mist the paper towels with clean water from a spray bottle. Spray the towels until they are completely saturated, and then pour out any excess water that sits in the bottom of the container.

3

Place the seeds, one by one, in a grid pattern on top of the paper towels. Leave about 1/2 inch of space between the seeds to leave room for the roots to grow.

4

Snap the lid on the box, and place it in a warm spot, such as on top of a refrigerator or in a sunny windowsill.

5

Check the seeds every day to look for roots and to make sure the paper towels stay moist. Mist the towels if they begin to dry out. Remove the seeds, and plant them when they have developed roots that are twice as long as the beans.

Things You Will Need

Plastic food container

Paper towels

Spray bottle

Tip

Plant the sprouted beans in small plant pots filled with compost or potting soil to continue growing them indoors.

About the Author

Working in sunny Florida, Anne Baley has been writing professionally since 2009. Her home and lifestyle articles have been seen on Coldwell Banker and Gardening Know How. Baley has published a series of books teaching how to live a frugal life with style and panache.